Weekly Highlights: March 9 – 15

Ancient Greeks believed that daemons were supernatural beings residing in the plane which existed between the world of gods and the world of humans. These beings had been associated with forces which brought inspiration and influenced human creativity. If we fast forward to the times of postmodern philosophy, we are bound to encounter the ideas of Wittgenstein, who asserted that (and this is a great oversimplification of the philosopher’s thought) existence is understood solely through language. With this in mind, let us ask ourselves, is there a difference between the term daemon and the more used one today – demon? It seems that there is only that difference of one letter and the two words are synonymous. If you think this, you are not far from the truth. Also, if you think this, you do not think like Wittgenstein and postmodern linguists and philosophers. For, one letter can bring so much meaning to a word. In our case, one is associated with forces of inspiration and the other with “dark,” satanic, even terrifying forces…

Why are we talking about all of this, again? Well, it is between inspiration and fear where yours, dear reader, and our interest had laid during the last seven days. From erotica and Friday the 13th, to the successful and fruitless exhibitions, we were driven by the power of fear and inspiration… Oh, and of course, a bit of Banksy…

So, lay back and scroll away in order to find out which stories were most interesting to our followers last week – it’s time for Weekly Highlights!

It’s Not About Björk, It’s About MoMA?

The expectations regarding the show were quite high. Both the critics and art lovers were truly excited about this project. This brilliant Icelandic singer, composer and songwriter brought the avant garde to the mainstream music industry and she moved the boundaries of music video production, live performance, costume. Her work influenced new directions in a wide range of music genres. Therefore, the news about her exhibition at MoMA didn’t come as much of a surprise. She is an artist, after all. However, the first critiques and impressions of the exhibition are anything else but positive. Disaster, hotchpotch, Hollywood came to MoMA – those are the words that are dominating the headlines about Björk’s exhibition. What happened? – the question many critics posed… Find out in Björk’s Exhibition at MoMA: Cactuses & Art.

Again, the News is All About Banksy

Almost a year after Banksy created his Spy Booth on the wall of a house in the British town of Cheltenham, the artwork continues to draw attention, for yet another reason. While it’s true that the words “Banksy” and “controversy” go hand in hand almost inseparably, this particular mural involved many people, which led to Banksy’s name appearing in newspapers even more than usual. Now, the owner of the building which “houses” the work spoke out, and it wasn’t to say he was the lucky target for the famous artist. Be sure to read the entire story in The Curse of Banksy’s Spy Booth.

Preserving Human Bodies

Between 2012 and 2014, photographer Blake Little took photos of actors he found on Craig’s List. The ad simply stated “art project” and nothing further was revealed until the actors arrived. With 80% of them staying after they heard what it’s about, Preservation started shaping into an interesting adventure, for both photographer and his models. Everyone who participated in this award-winning project, from a little baby and an obese lady, to the elderly, a tattooed couple and even a dog, were covered in honey. In a playful challenge, together they formed a unique set of evocative portraits of all backgrounds, age and body types, giving personality a new meaning and evoking ancient classical sculptures of Greece and Rome. Check out the entire imagery in Blake Little’s Preservation.

Erotica of Oliver Rath

The art of Oliver Rath is deeply connected with the urban vibe of Berlin. Before his career as photographer, Rath was a hip-hop DJ. His creative potentials are quite amazing and he is very productive artists. Rath can make an amazing picture even from small things that would normally be considered as completely irrelevant. He takes everything in that makes a good picture: geometry, contrast, perspective, arrangement. Rath’s photographs are like snapshots made in the completely unexpected places. It’s quite difficult to determine whether the snapshot was improvised or not, which only demonstrate the big artistic potential of the author. His photographs (particularly those from erotic art series) are like frames from the movies’ scenes. His amazing portraits of celebrities are among the most popular works by the artist. To find out more and have a look at intriguing imagery, check out our article Erotic Art of Oliver Rath.

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Daemons on Friday the 13th

Themes of death and religion have resulted in both fantastic and disturbing imagery in art through the ages with angels, demons and creatures of the night appearing in many forms. If one accepts that Friday the 13th does indeed come from the last supper with Jesus and that God does exist in some form or the other, then it goes without saying that one must believe in the opposite forces of Satan. The Satanic influence on imagery in street art is perhaps a little less well documented than other forms of street art, but dig around in those dark corners and you will find a number of artists creating art works based on the themes of Satan and the occult that deserve recognition. Check out the devilish works of Neck Face in Drinkin’ on the Job and the works of Bom.K. To find out even more, have a read and a look in Daemons of Street Art.